


The Mandalorian

by Dark_Earl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Obi-Wan Kenobi, Comedy, Gen, Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Pre-Slash, Protective Din Djarin, Road Trips, Space Opera, They are sassy space dads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Earl/pseuds/Dark_Earl
Summary: Post-Revenge of the Sith.The bounty hunter takes on a mission to find the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Din Djarin/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 226





	1. Tatooine

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written in Russian and posted on ficbok.net not long after the first season of the Mandalorian.  
> I finally decided to translate it and post in here. The work is finished, it only needs to be translated in english :D
> 
> This is NOT time-travel. This is putting Din Djarin in post-ROTS events.
> 
> I didn't watch the season 2 yet, so please, no spoilers in the comments :c
> 
> (For those of you who wait for updates for obisheev, not to worry, I'm working on it as well)

Mando didn’t like Coruscant. The planet looked more like a gateway than the capital of the Republic - now the Empire. Perhaps his dislike for Coruscant was largely due to the fact that Mando himself spent more time on the lower levels, only occasionally going to the surface. He never met with clients in person, and all business was conducted through the Guild, which settled in the very shadow of the capital.

Descending lower and lower on _Razor Crest_ , Mando couldn’t help but notice the huge screens, broadcasting the latest news. For several weeks now, all the channels broadcasted the same speech of the Chancellor - Emperor - Palpatine about the betrayal of the Jedi, the defeat of the separatists, the establishment of the Empire. The whole Core was only speaking about it. It seemed that Mando could already recite this historical speech by heart, although he had never been interested in politics, nor the Jedi, nor the Clone Wars. He was just a mercenary. Where they send him, there he goes.

After landing in the Guild hangar, he descended from his ship and went into a dark room that looked like a regular lower-level bar. Glancing around the room through his Mandalorian helmet, he easily found his agent, Greef Karga, among the visitors. Mando sat down at his table and greeted him with a nod.

“Successful hunting?” Grief asked imposingly.

Mando dumped 5 round tokens onto the table. Karga smiled in content.

“You never let us down,” he said and pulled a generous pile of credits from his pocket.

Mando was surprised to see that half of them were new coinage, bearing the emblem of the newly proclaimed Empire. He tilted his head to his shoulder in a silent question.

“One of the clients is especially close to the chancellor,” Grif explained. “Moreover, very soon republican credits will lose their value until they are completely out of circulation.”

Mando nodded. It made sense.

He slid the tokens halfway across the table to Karga and took his credits without a word.

“Actually,” Greef suddenly leaned closer and spoke more quietly: “there is a very promising order. The client doesn’t want to give it to anyone, he only wants the best. I allowed myself to offer him your services.”

“Who is the target?” The hunter asked. Client whims didn’t worry him.

“Don't hurry, Mando. You probably know that all Jedi are outlaws, and they pay handsomely for each one of them…”

Mando rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to take on the search for the Jedi, even if the price for them was very high. These damned freaks were very difficult to find, and even more difficult to catch, no matter dead or alive. Better to carry out standard orders and catch all sorts of thugs in the alleyways of the Galaxy than wasting time looking for those idiots with lightsabers.

Greef apparently sensed his irritation, so he hurried to explain:

“For one particular Jedi, the client offers a reward three times the usual. It seems that this poor fellow screwed personally with the emperor.”

“So the client is the emperor?”

“Exactly! Now you understand, Mando, that it isn’t only about money, but also about the reputation of the Guild.”

Mando understood. But that didn’t mean that he wanted to take up this job. Even though he personally disliked the Jedi, he didn't want to waste his time on them.

“Apparently the emperor has some information about this Jedi's whereabouts. The mediator didn’t particularly elaborate on this matter. All I understand is that the emperor is gathering the best bounty hunters to personally supply them with information.”

“Why? Wouldn't it be more clever to share information with everyone? The more people know, the higher the chance that someone will be able to catch this Jedi.”

“This is no longer my business,” Greef threw up his hands. “But I suspect he doesn't want to scare away the prey. So what? Are you taking on this case?”

Mando felt that he had no choice. He nodded in agreement.

“Good! Here, take this,” Greef handed him the card. “Go straight to the Jedi Temple. With this they will let you through.”

Mando took the card - there was clearly some kind of chip embedded in it - and got up. He was still not eager to take on this job. On the other hand, this job was different from any other that he had ever done, and Mando wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to have some fun.

Hiding the card, he left the bar and returned to his ship, from which the captured targets had already been unloaded, frozen in carbonite. There was little fuel left, but enough to go to the Jedi Temple.

Upon reaching the surface of Coruscant, Mando was surprised at how light it was. Despite the war and the recent battle for the capital, despite the storming of the Temple and a coup d'état, Coruscant seemed untouched. Everything here was the same as before, as if nothing had changed at all. Mando suddenly thought that it was because of that hypocrisy that he didn’t like this planet. Its surface was beautiful and clean, while it was here that the darkest things were done.

From a distance, the Jedi Temple seemed abandoned, although Mando was rarely here and didn’t know what it looked like in normal times. What really caught his eye was the military patrol around. No one was allowed into the territory of the Temple, but there were no questions about Mando's pass. The patrol allowed him to land the ship in the hangar, then two soldiers in white armor escorted him deeper into the Temple.

This place, like everything about the Jedi, was strange and just as hypocritical as the rest of the planet. For those who preach modesty and lack of attachment, the Temple was too pretentious and pompous, flaunting the wealth of the Order.

The soldiers took him to a room that seemed to be the Temple's security center and told him to wait. He didn’t have to wait long - literally a few minutes later Mando felt the approach of the two most powerful people in the Galaxy. He recognized one of them without difficulty - a wrinkled old man in a cloak with a hood that covered his ugly face, was the chancellor - now the emperor - Palpatine, and it was impossible not to recognize him after all the propaganda in the news. The second creature towered over the emperor like a formidable column. He was dressed in all black, and even his head was covered with a strange-looking black helmet. His noisy, rhythmic breathing sounded threatening, and even Mando knew that this man, whoever he was, was best not to joke with.

“Greetings, hunter,” the emperor croaked. “I understand that you are bursting with curiosity, so let's not waste time. Lord Vader, please.” He held out his hand, and the man in black walked to the computers flickering with green LEDs. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out one cell. Mando pursed his lips - was he a Jedi as well? No, a Sith. A Sith in the service of the emperor.

The cell flashed blue and revealed a recorded hologram.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Be secret... but be strong. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always."

The hologram has faded. Mando glanced briefly at the black-clad Sith, but he didn't even move to slide the cell back in.

"Your target is Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi," Palpatine said. “After he left this message four weeks ago, he went to the planet Mustafar. He soon left the planet, and nothing is known about his current whereabouts.”

And that's all they had to say? That this Kenobi was visiting some Mustafar four weeks ago?

“He used the Naboo senator's personal ship to get to Mustafar,” Vader said suddenly in his low, hollow voice, no doubt altered by the vocoder. “I assume that after Mustafar he visited Naboo. You can start your search from there.”

“As for the reward,” Palpatine spoke up again. “I suppose Greef Karga told you it would be more than generous. Half a million credits for dead Kenobi. A million - for ali…”

“A million credits and any weapon and vehicle you want,” Vader added sharply, interrupting the Emperor. “I want you to deliver him alive.”

“As an advance,” Palpatine held out a piece of beskar on his open withered palm. “Your armor looks pretty shabby,” the emperor grinned vilely.

Mando carefully took the beskar from his hand.

“Do you have any questions, hunter?”

“Can I stay in the Temple for a while? I want to know more about this Kenobi.”

“The temple is at your disposal. Anything else?”

Mando thought for a second.

“Who else did you give this assignment to?” He asked carefully. It never hurt to know his opponents.

Palpatine laughed vilely.

“Good, very good,” he muttered to himself. “Five more of your colleagues went in search of him. To our great regret, none of them have returned with good news so far. We hope that luck will be on your side.”

As he left, Vader gave him a datapad with a list of the mercenaries involved, as well as Kenobi's entire biography.

Palpatine and Vader then departed, leaving Mando alone.

He still wasn't sure about this assignment, but now there was no turning back.

*  
Trapped in hyperspace on his way to Tatooine, Mando tried to rest, but his negative thoughts didn’t let him. His informants as one claimed to have seen a Jedi very much like Kenobi in different corners of the galaxy, from Jakku to Crait, from Yavin to Tatooine. Because of this, Mando had to wander from planet to planet, checking and refuting all the rumors about Kenobi. Given that at least a standard month had passed since Lord Vader last saw him on Mustafar, finding Kenobi seemed like an impossible task. If a Jedi didn’t want to be found, no one would ever find him. Unless there was a will of this mysterious Force of theirs.

Mando hadn't really hoped he'd be lucky on Tatooine, but it was worth checking anyway. When _Razor Crest's_ autopilot signaled an imminent exit of hyperspace, Mando returned to the cockpit. The indistinct blue haze disappeared, replaced by the blackness of space and the yellow ball of a desert planet. Mando often visited Tatooine, as there was always work to be found on this planet. He routinely steered his ship to the Mos Eisley spaceport, where he successfully parked and paid generously for fuel. Out of habit, armed to the teeth and straightening his helmet, Mando headed for the familiar cantina.

In the cantina, a fight was going on in full, accompanied by the hum of the crowd. Dodging blasters and fists, Mando fought his way to the bar and took the farthest spot in the shadows, waiting. The fight was soon finished when one knocked the other to the floor and shot him right in the head. The crowd buzzed in disappointment, but dispersed very quickly. The bartender ordered the droids to take the corpse out before turning to Mando.

“Didn’t agree on the winnings,” he explained cheerfully. “Anything for you?”

“No,” Mando replied. “Tell me what you know about Kenobi.”

The bartender slung a towel over his shoulder and leaned over the counter towards Mando. Hunter pulled out a few credits from his pocket.

“You know that the republican currency is not in use here,” said the bartender.

“These are imperial.”

“And they cost nothing at all.”

Mando paused, then pulled out some republican credits.

“You can exchange these for local currency. As for the imperials, you will then thank me for them. So tell me everything you know, and don't lie.”

The bartender sighed wearily, but accepted the payment for the information.

“A couple of weeks ago a man appeared, who looked like this Kenobi of yours,” he began. “He was in a dark robe and apparently didn’t want to get noticed, he was clearly hiding from someone. He was also looking for someone.”

“Where is he now?”

“The locals began to talk about the crazy wizard across the Dune Sea. I don’t know for sure if it’s him, but it looks like that. That's all I know.”

“Did anyone else ask about him?”

“Only the locals themselves. Tatooine is not a planet one goes to on their own, you know. The appearance of new faces always raises questions.”

“Thanks.”

Mando got up from the counter and walked out into the street. Large Tatooine flies buzzed over the dead man thrown out of the bar.

Something told Mando that the crazy wizard across the Dune Sea was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Where else to hide from the Empire, if not on an unknown desert planet far from the Core? No one would look for a Jedi here. Mando doubted the locals even knew about their existence.

Renting a speeder, Mando headed south, but on the outskirts of the Dune Sea he was stopped by a group of Tusken. Mando, however, was ready for this and, for the passage through their territory, paid them with two visors, which he bought in Mos Eisley especially for this. When, using sign language, Mando asked them about the wizard, the Tusken confirmed that the madman in the dark robe still lived on the other side of the sea and hasn’t yet left these lands. Mando thanked them and continued his journey.

The twin suns were already sinking towards the horizon when Mando reached his goal. He left the speeder and walked the rest of the way so as not to inadvertently spook Kenobi with the noise of the engine. However, if there really was a Jedi hiding here, he would be able to sense his approach, even despite all the precautions. Mando knew about Jedi abilities firsthand.

The sky began to darken, but the desert air had not yet cooled down when Mando noticed a small farm in the distance. He hid behind a sandy hill and looked through the binoculars of the surroundings, but apart from the sands and canyons, there was nothing else. The small farm didn’t seem abandoned. Mando considered his chances. If there really was a Jedi hiding there, they couldn’t avoid the fight. And first he needed to lure the Jedi out.

Mando put away the binoculars, got up and continued on his way. The small farm drew closer with every step. When Mando got close enough, he saw a man in Jedi robes standing in front of the house.

It was Kenobi.

No luck in catching him off guard, Mando thought with annoyance. Obi-Wan Kenobi was staring directly at him from the open doors of his house, from which a warm yellow light poured onto the sand.

Mando stopped fifteen paces from the Jedi. The latter looked him over and asked:

“Did Maul send you?”

Mando shook his head. Althoug he knew who Maul was.

“Death Watch?” Kenobi asked again. Mando shook his head again. “So you will hand me over to the Empire. Listen, my friend, I really don't want to kill anyone. You shouldn't have found me. But unfortunately, I have nothing to pay you off, and I won't give up alive.”

“You’ll be good dead as well,” Mando replied indifferently, drew his blaster at lightning speed and fired.

Obi-Wan drew his own lightsaber in the blink of an eye and easily deflected the laser blasts. Mando fired again, and Obi-Wan defended again without issue, but this time the Jedi deliberately deflected the charges directly at the enemy. He really intended to fight to the death. Well, Mando would show him the fight.

Due to the lightsaber, Mando couldn’t get too close, even using the jetpack on maximum and trying to take Kenobi down to the ground. His lightsaber even touched beskar armor a couple of times, leaving little gaps on the metal and on Mando's own dignity - the shoulder pad was brand new! Angry, he dispersed the jetpack with all its power and crashed into Kenobi, knocking him to the ground and knocking the saber out of his hand. Kenobi, however, didn’t lose control and, using the Force, threw him off, then again grabbed the saber and rushed to the attack. Mando barely had time to dodge and turn on the jetpack, and Obi-Wan yelped in surprise as he burned himself against the fire exhaust. Mando took advantage of his hitch and pulled the saber out of his hands with a whipcord. Now the Jedi has lost his advantage and would be easier to deal with, or so it seemed. Kenobi, however, didn’t give up. Using the Force, he accelerated and jumped on Mando, but the hunter managed to dodge and flew up, preventing him from approaching him. He activated the Jedi lightsaber, swinging its blue blade belligerently in the air. He accelerated and flew straight at the Jedi, intending to pierce him with one precise blow of the saber, but Kenobi leaped towards him, deftly dodging the blade and grabbing Mando with all his strength. The jetpack, unable to withstand the weight of both of them, began to pass, and Mando increased its power so as not to fall to the ground. Kenobi, taking advantage of his fleeting hesitation, punched him in the stomach with his knee, just below the plated vest, and Mando dropped the saber. It fell out of his hand, but Kenobi managed to grab it before it fell to the sand. Striking Mando again with such force that he flew to the side, the Jedi deftly landed on the ground - only to jump again and in flight cut Mando's jetpack in half.

Mando collapsed onto the sand, rolled onto his back, and instinctively grabbed his rifle, aiming it at the Jedi who had landed next to him. The other pointed his buzzing lightsaber at Mando.

It was a dead end. Mando knew that before he could shoot, the Jedi would stab him to death with his lightsaber. But the Jedi was in no hurry to deliver the final blow, knowing that Mando would shoot and not miss.

Suddenly, in the silence of the night desert, they heard a child's cry.

Mando, forgetting about the threat of death, turned his head towards the sound - it was coming from the house. Kenobi, without turning off his saber, rushed straight there. Mando sat up on the sand, removed the now useless jetpack from his back, and looked up at the house.

Moments later, Kenobi appeared in the doorway. In his right hand he still held his saber, but with his left he held the crying baby. Mando stared at this picture, dumbfounded.

“Shhhh, calm down, Luke, it's okay, I'm fine,” Kenobi muttered, trying to lull the baby to sleep. His Jedi tunic was wrinkled and dirty, and his hair was disheveled after a long fight, but he, as if nothing had happened, rocked the child in his arms, as if completely forgetting about the threat.

Mando rose slowly to his feet and stared at the Jedi with the infant. When the baby had stopped crying, Obi-Wan looked up at Mando.

Mando realized that this time he was in real trouble.


	2. Sorgan

Thus they stood across from each other. The blue glow of the Jedi saber contrasted with the yellow light of the house and the deep night sky of Tatooine, in which two white moons had already risen. Kenobi stood in a defensive stance, but Mando was in no hurry to attack.

Mando was a bounty hunter, he killed people and not only people, but even he had honor. He didn’t kill innocent children and didn’t leave them orphans, at least he tried.

But he didn’t want to lose the million credit jackpot.

They silently burned each other with tenacious glances when someone began to shoot at them from nowhere. Kenobi instantly ducked, clutching the baby firmly to his chest, and deflected a couple of blaster bolts with his lightsaber. Mando spun around and began blindly shooting towards where the fire was coming from, but the fire didn’t stop, and soon three assassin droids appeared on the horizon.

“Oh hell,” Mando hissed. “Rivals.”

He turned his gaze to the Jedi. He surely could have dealt with the droids alone, even with three assassin droids, but Kenobi couldn’t fight in full force while protecting an innocent baby. Mando realized that asking him to give the child to him was useless, but he himself was much less likely to cope with three droids at the same time. Besides, Mando frowned, now he needed to protect the Jedi - after all, he found him first, he wasn’t going to share the bounty with competitors.

“Hey you! Mandalorian!” suddenly shouted Kenobi. “I can't hold back the fire forever, do something!”

Mando wanted to take offense at his commanding tone, but the Jedi was right. If he didn’t do anything, not only Kenobi would die, but he himself would die as well. Mando didn’t want to die.

Blasters weren’t suitable for such a long distance. Mando took out explosives and threw one bomb towards the droids. He wasn’t at all surprised when the bomb flew farther than it should have - Mando was counting that Kenobi would Force-give it the right speed and direction - and it hit straight into one of the three droids. It exploded with a majestic roar, lighting up the desert with bright fire.

However, it was too early to rejoice. The second droid fired three rockets, which whizzed straight towards them. Mando wanted to take them away with a jetpack, but remembered that Kenobi had broken it. The missiles were approaching, but when they were very close, all three suddenly changed trajectory and took off upward, colliding with each other and exploding right in the air. Mando glanced at the Jedi, but the Jedi just grinned back. At that moment, a blaster charge flew past him, and Kenobi barely had time to duck. Mando, feeling a surge of energy, turned back to the droids, drawing their attention to himself. For some reason, he was sure that together with the Jedi they would be able to finish off the remaining two droids.

The droid fired two more missiles, only they flew not at him, but at the house. When Mando turned, he saw that Kenobi had barely had time to run out of the house with his bag slung over his shoulder when the missiles crashed into the little building. An explosion thundered. Kenobi was slightly hit by the shockwave, and he could barely stay on his feet. With an incomprehensible anger, Mando began firing at the two droids with incredible precision, preventing them from getting closer. When Kenobi regained his balance, he stood next to Mando. Out of the corner of his eye, Mando saw the Jedi extend his free hand forward - and one of the droids began to hover in the air. It grunted and sparkled, and then was simply crushed into a useless heap of scrap metal, after which Kenobi threw it at the remaining third droid. It lost its balance and fell to the sand, and before it could get up, Mando slung his rifle over his shoulder and fired. An accurate hit - and the last droid disintegrated into a cloud of atoms.

The desert became quiet, only a burning house and two sparkling droids crackled.

Kenobi, holding the child in his arms, walked towards the droids. Bending down, he snatched the communication device from one of them - from the one that was intact - and crumpled it. Then he stood next to the other droid and, carefully so as not to burn himself, began to examine him. When he, after making sure that the droid was incapacitated, straightened back, Mando was next to him and put on him Force-suppressing handcuffs. Kenobi looked up at Mando in surprise, but then smiled without saying anything. Mando unhooked his lightsaber from his belt and hung it on his own belt, before unceremoniously grabbing Kenobi by the sleeve and dragging him toward his speeder.

Something exploded in the back of the house, but Mando didn't care. Having put the Jedi on a speeder, he himself got behind the wheel and drove through the night desert back to Mos Eisley.

The mission was accomplished.

All the way to Mos Eisley went in silence. Both were silent, and the child - an amazing creature - was asleep, only the speeder engine hummed. It soon began to dawn. The sky at the very horizon began to gradually brighten - in this season one of Tatooine's suns rose much earlier than the other; and when they arrived at the spaceport, the sky was already pale blue. At Mos Eisley, however, the day had not yet begun, and in complete silence, meeting no one on the way, they reached the landing platforms. There, Mando grabbed Kenobi from the speeder - carefully this time so as not to wake the baby - and dragged him to his ship. Seating the Jedi in the passenger seat, he started the engines, and slowly they began to rise into the atmosphere, leaving the planet.

Kenobi was silent, but he sat alert and hugged the child - Luke - to his chest, hiding him in his dark robe. Mando didn't know what to do. He must take Kenobi to Coruscant and collect his reward. He didn’t care what the argument was about between Kenobi and the Empire, it didn't concern him. He was a hunter, his business was to look for targets and deliver them to clients. But, watching the Jedi with the baby, he realized that this assignment was wrong from the very beginning. Firstly, he had never met with clients in person before, but this time Emperor Palpatine himself wished to meet with him. Secondly, he had his own professional standards and principles. He did not kill children. And he definitely understood what was waiting for little Luke should he be in the hands of the emperor and his tame Sith in a black suit. Luke would die and Mando would be the direct culprit.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the coordinates, and _Razor Crest_ jumped into hyperspace.

Several hours passed in absolute silence. Mando, it would seem, even dozed off and woke up only when Luke began to cry. Sighing, Mando turned in his chair and saw Kenobi get up to exit the cockpit. Mando didn't even bother to hold him back. He didn’t need the Jedi to fiddle with the baby right here.

When he left, the hunter turned the chair back around and leaned back with a heavy sigh. What has he just got himself into?..

The blurry hyperspace, along with the quiet hum of the ship, was soothing, and Mando closed his eyes again.

There was the characteristic buzz of an activated lightsaber from behind. When did Kenobi manage to sneak up on him and pick up the saber? Mando tilted his head carefully to check, but the saber he had taken from the Jedi was still hanging on his belt. So this asshole had another one? Mando gritted his teeth in disappointment - he hadn't thought to check his bag, and now he was taken by surprise.

“Now you’ll get out of hyperspace,” Kenobi said in a firm voice: “Then take me back to the Outer Rim, land on some planet, fly away and forget that you ever saw me.”

“I thought Jedi didn't kill unarmed,” Mando remarked, not forgetting the dangerous saber at his neck.

“You can hardly be called unarmed, Mandalorian, and the Jedi are gone. Do as I say, until I decide that my Jedi honor is dearer to me than the life of an innocent child.”

Mando turned his head slightly to look at the Jedi. He looked calm, clearly aware of his advantage in this situation, even though his hands were still cuffed, because he couldn’t have cut the cuffs with a lightsaber without hurting himself. Baby Luke, held in the crook of his left arm, gazed at Mando with the indifference of newborn babies.

“Take the saber away,” Mando said.

Kenobi didn't move.

“Take the saber away, Jedi,” the hunter repeated. “I'm not taking you to Coruscant.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

Mando was about to bend over to show him the on-board computer, but Kenobi brought his lightsaber closer to his neck, nearly scorching the hem of his shirt.

“Hey, easy,” Mando snorted. “Here, see for yourself.”

Kenobi, without removing the saber, walked around the pilot's seat and looked at the coordinates.

“Sorgan?” He asked in surprise.

“Yes. There is a small population, but there is a spaceport where I am going to drop you off, then go away and, like you said, forget that I saw you at all.”

Kenobi stared at Mando in disbelief, but still turned off his saber, then collapsed into the passenger seat without saying anything.

“You're welcome,” Mando muttered and turned away, staring at the blue outside the window.

The entire long, ten-hour flight to Sorgan was rather monotonous. Kenobi was quiet, focusing all his attention on the baby and never even glancing at Mando. Mando himself watched him intently, not forgetting about his second lightsaber. He was about to search his bag, but changed his mind when Kenobi pulled out a bottle of milk from it to feed Luke. Mando suddenly wondered who the child's parents were and what became of them. How did he end up with the Jedi? Or maybe this was one of the Temple Younglings who Kenobi saved when he fled the Empire? Mando knew that Palpatine had announced a hunt for the Jedi, proclaiming them traitors, but he didn't think they were targeting the children too. By the way, what happened to the rest of the Younglings?

No, that was none of his business. The Clone Wars and Jedi showdown with the Empire were not his concern. The sooner he got rid of Kenobi and forgot about him, the better. He would disembark the Jedi on Sorgan, return to Coruscant, and take on another job. Of course, it was a pity to miss the million credit reward, but if Mando was right and Kenobi could hide using his Jedi tricks, then none of the hunters whom Palpatine entrusted with this task wouldn't receive a penny. None of them would receive the award.

Luke fell asleep again by the time the computer announced the imminent exit from hyperspace. Mando focused on flying, but when blue star streaks were replaced by a green planet, the computer squeaked disgustingly. Mando glanced at the screen and cursed softly - there was a leak in the engine. The old wreck should have been repaired long ago, but so far Mando hasn't had any problems with the ship.

“What happened?” Kenobi asked.

“Engine leak,” Mando grunted, and focused on navigation. He only needed to land the ship, there should be enough fuel for that. “Wait a minute, is this your doing?”

“I, of course, can be considered insane, but not at this scale. Do you think I would harm the ship I'm on?”

“Who knows you Jedi.”

“Anyway, now is the perfect time to send the droid to fix the engine.”

“I don’t have a droid,” Mando grunted irritably and added for some reason: “I don’t like droids.”

“Well, then I hope your ship won't fall apart.”

To this Mando said nothing.

They had already entered the atmosphere and were flying towards the local spaceport when the computer beeped louder and faster. The ship began to shake noticeably, which caused baby Luke to wake up and cry, expressing his displeasure. Mando had a bad feeling that if he didn't land the ship immediately, they would explode in mid-air. There was nothing to do, and Mando steered the ship straight down into a clearing in the middle of a green forest. In the depths of the _Crest_ , something clicked badly, buzzed and banged softly. Mando knocked out all the electronics, grabbed the captive Jedi by the sleeve and briskly dragged him to the exit. They descended the ramp into a sunny clearing, ran to a safe distance, and stared at the ship expectantly. This time there was a louder bang inside, the ship trembled slightly, then froze and didn’t make another sound.

“One landing is happier than the other,” Kenobi snorted, trying unsuccessfully to lull the crying baby to sleep. “Hush, Luke, don't worry like that. Uncle Mando didn't want to wake you up.”

Mando was about to argue about his sudden new nickname, but changed his mind. After waiting a little longer and making sure that the ship wasn’t going to explode, he left Kenobi standing in the middle of the forest and returned to assess the damage.

Due to an internal explosion, the entire engine compartment fused into one continuous mess. Mando praised himself for deciding to land on a planet with civilization, otherwise he would hardly have been able to fly out of here at all. But first, a major overhaul was needed, and Mando, armed with tools, awkwardly set to work.

He was a bounty hunter, not an astromech. He knew stuff about ship engines, but not to that extent. Everything simply melted! Let's say he can tear off the burnt parts and install new ones with great difficulty - provided that he could find them on this distant planet - but what if he messed up somewhere?

Mando almost jumped in surprise when a Jedi's voice rang out nearby.

“May I help?”

Mando turned his head and looked at Kenobi. A tired Jedi, with tousled hair, with a child in his shackled arms and in dirty, somewhere burnt clothes. How could he help him? By standing over?

"I'm actually a pretty good mechanic," Kenobi explained with a smile, clearly feeling Mando's disbelief. “Helping you fix your ship is the least I can do for you in this context.”

Perhaps the two of them would do faster. In any case, Mando needed to go to the spaceport to buy spare parts. He wasn’t afraid to leave Kenobi alone on the ship - it couldn’t take off anyway.

Putting his tools aside, he turned to leave, but Kenobi called out to him again:

“Maybe at least you can free my hands? It's not very convenient to do repairs in handcuffs.”

Mando sighed and turned back. Coming close to Kenobi, he severed the two halves of the handcuffs, but didn’t remove them from his hands.

“No tricks," he said.

“None,” the Jedi confirmed with a smile. “Will you look after the child while I'm busy? Carefully, okay? Luke doesn't like to be bothered for nothing.”

Before Mando could argue, Kenobi handed him the baby and disappeared into the back of the compartment. He stared at baby Luke, confused. Luke stared at him back, with curiosity. Sighing heavily, Mando nevertheless held him more comfortably in his arms and went out into the fresh air.

What had he gotten himself into this time?

*  
For all the time that Kenobi was missing for repairs, Mando managed to eat and feed Luke a couple of times, digging into the Jedi bag and finding a little supply of bottles of milk. He shied away from bothering with diapers, leaving it to Kenobi, once distracting him from work.

Sorgan's sun was setting below the horizon, and baby Luke was sleeping sweetly when Kenobi swam out of the ship into the light of day. Wiping his hands on a rag, he wearily lowered himself onto the ramp next to Mando.

“I sawed off all the welded parts with my lightsaber. Overall, it's not that bad. A couple of charred walls won't embarrass you, will they? Alas, you have to install a new engine. The battery and all its wiring must be completely replaced. Given that everything burned down, I wasn’t able to determine the cause of the breakdown, but I suspect that the ship simply has not been inspected for a long time. Extremely imprudent, mister Mandalorian.”

“You're really good at that, aren't you?” Mando remarked without much sarcasm.

“When I was younger, I loved doing mechanics. Fortunately, I didn't waste all my skills.”

Kenobi lifted his head, peering into the sunset sky, and suppressed a yawn with difficulty.

“Until we fix the ship, we won't be able to take off. You said there was a spaceport here. I propose to go there tomorrow and buy the necessary parts. Right now I'm tired and I want to sleep.”

Careful so as not to wake Luke, he took him in his arms and stood up.

“With your permission, I’ll sleep in the passenger seat. Good night.”

The Jedi disappeared in the ship.

Mando stayed outside. After making sure the Jedi wasn't going to return, he removed his helmet and rubbed his face with his hands.

*  
Waking up in the dark from some kind of noise, Mando grabbed the blasters and aimed at nowhere. Only a second later he woke up completely and realized what exactly had awakened him - somewhere, a child was crying. Wait a minute, a child? Where was a child on his ship from? Mando put the blasters back and relaxed. Sure, he had a captive Jedi on board that he was about to release, and the Jedi had a baby who was now screaming the entire ship down. Even as he lay on his narrow bed below the cockpit, Mando heard his loud screams. When after a couple of minutes it didn’t stop, Mando was about to get up to check if the Jedi had died there, but the screams suddenly stopped, and the ship became quiet again.

Great. Just great.

Mando closed his eyes, firmly deciding for himself that tomorrow morning he would go to the spaceport, buy the necessary parts, they would fix the _Razor Crest_ and he would get out of here, leaving the Jedi and the child far behind.

*  
Mando woke up before dawn, but Sorgan's sky was beginning to lighten up. Putting on a helmet and putting a spare jetpack from his arsenal over his back, he climbed into the pilot's cabin to wake the Jedi, but he didn’t sleep. Kenobi was half-sitting-half-lying in the passenger seat, and on his chest, wrapped in a thick, warm Jedi robe, slept little Luke.

For some reason, this picture was quite touching.

“I'm sorry if we woke you up at night,” Kenobi whispered, looking Mando straight in the eyes, even despite his helmet.

“I'm going to the spaceport,” Mando said indifferently. “Stay here and don't go anywhere.”

“Okay.”

Mando turned to leave, but Kenobi called out softly.

“Hey, Mandalorian…”

Mando suppressed a sigh and turned his head to look over his shoulder at the Jedi. The latter pursed his lips awkwardly, thought for a few moments and said:

"Could you... Buy some milk for Luke, please? My supplies, alas, are running out, and you hardly have anything on the ship to feed your newborn baby.”

Kenobi was clearly uncomfortable, but he didn't look away. Mando had no doubt that if he refused, Kenobi would simply go with him.

It seemed he had no choice. He nodded.

Kenobi sighed in relief and threw his head back.

“If suddenly some Toydarian tries to overcharge you for the spare parts, do not agree to any adventures and do not make any bets with him.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Mando sighed. He wasn't up to the oddities of the Jedi.

*  
Despite Mando's fears, the local spaceport was larger than he expected, even though the planet was far from the Core and from the main trade routes. Few have flown in here, only small merchant ships and transports. Fortunately, Mando was able to make a profitable bargain to buy a new engine for his ship. The merchant was a human, not a Toydarian - why did Kenobi come up with that? - and accepted payment by republican credits, although Mando tried to explain to him that the republican currency would soon lose value and go out of use.

When Mando asked him if it was possible to buy baby supplies somewhere, he was afraid for a minute that this task would be impossible. The merchant looked at him in surprise. Mando suddenly realized what he looked like from the outside: in full beskar armor, with a bunch of weapons, a bounty hunter to the bone, who asked where to buy baby supplies. If he was a merchant from a distant planet, he would also feel uncomfortable.

The merchant, however, answered impartially:

“You're in luck, Mandalorian. There is a village not far from here, and locals often come here to shop. So yes, we have that too. On the block on the other side of the spaceport.”

Mando nodded gratefully.

The merchant didn’t lie, Mando did find a small market on the other side and even met a few locals. They were dressed simply and looked like farmers, so Mando stood out a lot, and he felt extremely uncomfortable buying baby food. This was perhaps the most embarrassing moment in his entire bounty hunter career.

He only got better when he returned back. By that time, the sun was already high in the sky. Kenobi was sitting on an open ramp and coddling with the baby, but when he heard the noise, he instantly jumped up, hugging the baby to his chest in a protective gesture. He relaxed when he saw that it was Mando.

“They have everything in the port,” he said, and tapped his hand on the loaded trailer of a rented speeder. “And here live mostly people, so I also found food for the child,” he replied to the questioning look of the Jedi and put in front of him a bag filled to the brim with everything necessary - from food to clothes. Kenobi beamed.

Unexpectedly for both of them, Mando and Kenobi worked well together. The ship was mostly repaired by the Jedi, demonstrating his extraordinary abilities while Mando looked after baby Luke. They slept in turns. Most of the time they didn't even speak. Kenobi didn’t bother Mando with useless questions, knowing that Mando wouldn’t answer anyway, and Mando didn’t ask him questions either, deciding that the Jedi's past didn’t concern him.

Thus two and a half days passed. On the third day, when the sun was hidden behind tall trees, and the new engine was successfully installed - they only needed to connect the wiring - two appeared in their makeshift camp. Mando was the first to sense their presence and gestured to the Jedi to hide inside the ship, while he armed himself with a rifle. The two, arriving in a wooden cart, were unarmed and looked like those whom Mando had seen at the port. Farmers. But what did they want here? He lowered the rifle, but did not remove it entirely.

“Please don’t shoot,” one of them said as they stopped in front of the ship.

“We saw you at the port and thought that you could help us,” the second mumbled. “You look like a bounty hunter.”

So they didn’t want the Jedi, Mando thought with sudden relief.

“Sorry, but I can't help you,” he replied. “I'll be leaving here soon.”

“We'll pay you!” said the first farmer. “True, we don't have much money... But we really really need help!”

Mando wanted to argue again, but suddenly Kenobi appeared next to him. He was wearing his robe. It concealed a lightsaber at his waist, and long sleeves covered his Force-suppressing cuffs.

“What kind of help do you need?” He asked quietly.

The farmers looked at each other in surprise, clearly not expecting anyone else to be with Mando. Then the first one explained:

“We are farmers and we live by raising krill. But we are constantly attacked by local Klatooinians and take away our harvest. There are more of them and they are armed, and we can do nothing against them.”

“We wanted to hire the gentleman in armor,” the second continued, nodding toward Mando, “so that he, um, scared the Klatooinians away. We will pay!”

“We don’t have time for this,” said Mando, but Kenobi suddenly put his hand on his shoulder.

“I can teach them how to defend themselves,” he said quietly so the farmers wouldn't hear him. “They say they can pay. This is hardly a large amount. But you can consider that this is my payment for everything that you have done for me.”

Mando looked the Jedi in the eyes. For some reason he couldn't find a reason to argue with him.

“And,” Kenobi smiled. “I like this planet.”

Mando understood what he meant. Kenobi intended to stay here with the child. This planet was far from the Core, it has a good climate and a quiet population that hardly knows about the Jedi. It was ideal to lie low.

Mando sighed and turned to the farmers.

“Okay. We will help you.”

They looked at each other happily.

Kenobi briefly hid on _Razor Crest_ to take the baby and his bag, and then went out of the ship. The farmers helped him get on the cart and bent over the baby with affection.

“Cute! We got it that you have a child! Is he yours?” One of them asked.

“No, he's not ours,” the Jedi replied with a smile. “But now he's my responsibility.”

“What is his name?”

“Luke.”

Mando sighed, locked the ship and silently joined the others, not forgetting to take with him two boxes of all kinds of weapons. You never know what can happen.

*  
They arrived at the village only in the morning. Obi-Wan didn’t even notice how they arrived, as he slept peacefully all night in the cart. Even Luke never woke them up with his screams. Obi-Wan couldn't even remember the last time he had slept so well.

The quiet, calm farm was like any other that Obi-Wan had seen during the war. Even without the Force, he felt that everyone here lived in peace and harmony, and was glad that there were still such quiet places in the Galaxy. It would be great if he and Luke were allowed to stay here. The boy would not have to grow up in complete isolation, and here he would be safe.

“I didn't think there would be two of you,” the dark-haired woman said to them when they arrived. “Caben and Stoke said they’d try to bring the mister in the armor.” She nodded at Mando.

"Don't worry, this guy can do just as well without armor," Mando said, not without sarcasm, and patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder. The Jedi rolled his eyes and grabbed little Luke more comfortably in his arms.

“My name is Omera,” the woman introduced herself. “Come on, I'll show you a place where you can rest and prepare.”

Happy children were running around the farm, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile as he watched this serene scene. These people lived on the outskirts of the Galaxy and most likely didn’t even know about the war.

They were settled in a small barn, but given the context, this barn was several times more comfortable than a small house in the middle of the endless dunes of Tatooine; and while Mando was checking on his weapons, Obi-Wan and Omera fiddled with little Luke. Obi-Wan made no secret of his relief when Omera brought in shabby but clean baby clothes, diapers and even rattles, all stacked in one large basket.

“How did you just come to our land?” She asked.

"Oh, it's a very long story," Obi-Wan replied vaguely, bottle feeding Luke. “I got into an unpleasant situation, and Mando saved me and agreed to take me to some safe place where I could raise the boy.”

“Mando? Is that your name?”

Mando was silent.

“Alas, he never gave his name,” Kenobi chuckled. “But since he wears Mandalorian armor, I call him Mando. Right, Uncle Mando?” He waved Luke's small hand.

Obi-Wan didn't need to feel the Force or look at him to realize how hard Mando rolled his eyes. Years of cooperation with clones who constantly wore helmets contributed to the development of not quite ordinary skills.

“What's your name?” Omera asked.

“Ben.”

Mando snorted, but Obi-Wan ignored him.

“And this is little Luke.”

The kid blinked with his blue eyes.

Towards evening, Mando decided to act.

“So, Ben. You can stay here with your child,” he said. “I will go scouting, find out where the Klatooinians are hiding, how many of them there are and what they are armed with.”

"I'll go with you," Obi-Wan objected out of habit and switched to the general's mode that had been ingrained in his head during the war years. “I think that my experience will be useful to you.”

"My own experience is enough. You will stay here, study the terrain, and decide how best to defend when we provoke them to attack."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in a familiar gesture. Then he sighed and shook his head. He was no longer in the war, but there was a feeling that the war was on his heels - once agin planning, intelligence, strategies... But Mando was right: in this situation, when there was no direct and immediate threat, it would be better for them to share the efforts.

It's even surprising how quickly they found a common language.

*  
Several days were taken to train the farmers in the art of war.

Mando wasn’t involved in the process. From time to time he went out on reconnaissance to make sure that the Klatooinians didn’t leave or weren’t going to attack. As he returned, he watched Kenobi teach the farmers formations, show defenses, and talk about traps. It was clear that he knew firsthand about the war. Mando studied his file. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the High Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic and even managed to defeat General Grievous - which effectively ended the Clone Wars - before the Jedi were declared traitors. Mando frowned - why then were the Jedi traitors if they fought on the side of the Republic? Oh yes, because they wanted to stage a coup d'état, at least that was what the chancellor, now the emperor, said.

But when Kenobi, after another session, sat on the porch and fed Luke, Mando had the impression that this man wasn’t at all interested in politics, let alone a coup. Although who knows these Jedi? Maybe only Kenobi wasn’t involved in this whole business and simply got in the middle along with the others.

However, Mando couldn't help but admit that his fighting skills were excellent.

“I thought the Jedi were the keepers of peace,” he said one evening, sitting next to the Jedi.

“I thought you read my file,” Kenobi replied with his usual sarcasm. “I was a general after all.”

Mando rolled his eyes.

"I've already eaten," the Jedi said suddenly. “And your portion is waiting for you in the house.”

Mando nodded, got up and disappeared inside. What he liked about Kenobi was that he didn't bother asking about his past and respected his personal space, never once trying to figure out what he looked like without a helmet.

*  
Mando was even surprised at how well their joint operation went. When he lured out the Klatooinians, Kenobi and his small impromptu army of farmers were ready. Although Mando was confident that one Jedi could easily have dealt with a gang of Klatooine raiders alone, Kenobi didn’t use either the Force nor a Jedi saber, armed only with a pair of Mando's own blasters and fighting shoulder to shoulder with the farmers, devoting all his attention to protection.

Fortunately, the Klatooinians themselves didn’t have so many weapons, they relied more on their own brute strength, and besides, the resistance took them by surprise. Some died, the rest scattered cowardly, and the joy of the farmers was endless.

They spent a couple of weeks in the village, but the Klatooinians never returned, and their lair was completely empty.

Kenobi found Mando collecting his weapons.

“Are you sure you don't want to stay?” He asked not for the first time. They had already discussed this, but Kenobi couldn’t convince Mando, even though he used all his eloquence.

“We have already discussed this, Ben,” the pseudonym chosen by the Jedi has stuck during this time. “I don't belong here, but you and Luke will be fine.”

“I know, but what if they find us here?”

“Then you will run away somewhere where you won’t be found.”

Mando closed the arsenal box.

“I see you won't change your mind,” Kenobi sighed. “But I'll help you fix the ship anyway.”

Mando was supplied with generous provisions. Kenobi told Omera that he had to help Mando repair the ship, and then he would immediately return back. Together on a cart driven by a droid, they went to where _Razor Crest_ stood.

“You should have left Luke in the village, there is absolutely no need to drag him with us,” muttered Mando, leaning back and looking at the sky, blocked by tall trees.

"Well, well, don't take away the child's last happy moments with Uncle Mando," Obi-Wan smiled.

“When he grows up, he won't even remember me.”

“Of course he will. Uncle Ben will definitely tell him about a brave warrior in shining Mandalorian armor, who, despite the danger and great financial losses, decided to help the unjustly accused Jedi with a child and hide them on a distant planet where evil imperial soldiers wouldn’t find them. Isn't that right, Luke? Will you remember good Uncle Mando when you grow up?”

Luke smiled and hummed cheerfully.

Mando sighed wearily.

They spent most of the journey in comfortable silence, and Mando even dozed off to the rustle of leaves and the singing of forest birds. He woke up from an inexplicable sense of danger, casting a glance at the Jedi. He sat quietly and, it seems, also dozed, and baby Luke snuffled comfortably in his arms.

Mando drew his blaster and fired twice in the direction from where there was a suspicious rustle. Judging by the sound, the charge hit someone or something, and then there was no time for thinking. The droid driving their cart came to a stop, and five Imperial soldiers in white armor appeared from behind the trees.

Shooting began from everywhere. Obi-Wan and Luke woke up, the kid screaming in dismay.

“Get down!” shouted Mando, threw a rifle over his shoulder and immediately killed two soldiers with accurate shots. The other three managed to get closer, but not too much - Mando easily finished them off. After looking around and making sure that no one else was in the ambush, he returned to Kenobi to check that he and the child were okay, but he heard the familiar engine sound in the distance. The Republic shuttle hoisted over the trees, the one that apparently brought the Imperials to Sorgan. The soldier who remained on the ship decided to leave the planet.

“Take off my handcuffs!” Kenobi ordered, and Mando didn’t hesitate to deactivate them. Kenobi immediately gave the child to him and held out his hands in the direction where the shuttle was taking off. Mando even forgot about crying Luke, his jaw dropped as he was watching Kenobi use the Force to pull the shuttle back. The Jedi's forehead was sweaty from concentration and tension, but the shuttle, despite all its resistance, couldn’t fly further, hanging awkwardly in the air. Obi-Wan tensed even more, and the shuttle crashed into the forest and exploded deafeningly, raising a pillar of fire.

Kenobi sank wearily to the ground and leaned his head against the side of the cart.

Mando froze. He had a chance to cross the Jedi, and he knew what they were capable of, but he had never seen anything like this - to stop the shuttle on the go!..

Kenobi caught his breath and stood up. After taking the child from Mando, he told him to search the bodies and take all means of communication. He himself tried not to look at the clones, and Mando couldn’t blame him for that. When he took the comlinks from the soldiers, they headed for the collapsed shuttle, but nothing of it remained from the explosion, the pilot was clearly dead.

“I hope he didn’t have time to tell anyone that we are here,” Kenobi said thoughtfully.

“It doesn't matter anymore,” Mando sighed ruefully. “When their missing is noticed, a whole legion will head here. We can't stay here any longer.”

Obi-Wan sighed and turned with a regretful look towards the direction they had come from. He didn't want to leave this wonderful place, but Mando was right more than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was some long-ass chapter to translate.
> 
> UPD: I just watched the season 2 finale and I must say I have new ideas for the content :D


	3. Florrum

"You're right," Obi-Wan said. “We can't stay here any longer.”

Mando frowned. The farmers equipped him with supplies, but they had nothing with them for the child, as Obi-Wan was supposed to return to the village and stay. It was dangerous to detour, since they didn’t know how many Imperials were here. Apparently there was only one shuttle with six soldiers they killed, but what if an entire Imperial cruiser hovered over the planet?

Plus, they still had to finish repairing _Razor Crest_ , and Mando could only hope the Imperials hadn't found their ship.

Wait, their ship? It was his ship!

Luke was still whimpering in the Jedi's arms.

Mando suddenly thought that Obi-Wan was now armed not only with a lightsaber, but also with the Force. If Kenobi wanted to, he would have dealt with Mando with one movement of his hand and took off on his ship; but the Jedi only rocked the baby in his arms and frowned.

"We'll have to split up," Mando said finally. Kenobi gave him a surprised look. “Go back to the ship and finish fixing the engine. I will go back to the village and inform them that you will not return, and I will take whatever Luke needs.”

Kenobi considered his words. Splitting up wasn’t a good idea, but he saw no better way out. If both of them made the detour to the village, they would waste a lot of time. If they headed straight for the ship, Luke would have nothing he needed the entire time they were in the hyperspace jump to the next planet. Obi-Wan appreciated the trust that Mando had shown in him - it was unlikely that a bounty hunter would have let him alone on the ship.

As soon as the Jedi thought about it, Mando approached him and took the child. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in question.

“So you don’t think about running away,” Mando explained.

Luke stopped crying and stared at Mando with a kind of incomprehensible admiration.

“Okay. Your plan, while not perfect, is not bad, and I cannot suggest a better one,” said Obi-Wan.

He reconfigured two comlinks he had taken from the clones and gave one to Mando.

“We are not far from the ship,” said the hunter. “You go on foot. I take the cart to return to the village.”

“Whatever you say, Uncle Mando.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Then tell me your name,” Kenobi said cheerfully.

Mando took a deep breath to say something snappy in response, but Luke fidgeted in his arms and tapped him small hand against hard armor.

“Hush, Luke, don't be nervous, we're just there and back, okay?”

Mando gingerly clenched his little fist to keep the kid from injuring himself, and as he looked up, he came across Kenobi's ridiculous smile.

“Shut up.”

"I didn't say anything." Obi-Wan kept smiling.

Mando sighed. Again. For the umpteenth time.

“Okay. Get back to the ship. Luke and I will be back soon.”

*  
Obi-Wan had just finished wiring when Mando and baby Luke returned. Mando sat on a droid-driven cart filled to the brim with supplies, and a small cradle floated beside him, half closed so that daylight would not bother Luke in his sleep.

Obi-Wan descended the ramp.

“I fixed everything,” he said. “At the same time, I examined the ship and found this on the hull,” he held out his hand. A disassembled tracking device lay in his open palm.

Mando felt himself getting angry. Someone dared to put a bug on his ship!

"It's a Republican military model," Obi-Wan continued. “I used them myself. So these weren't these droids from Tatooine. There were the Imperials.”

“Must have been put it on my ship when I was given this assignment. Apparently, they don’t trust anyone and follow all hunters in order to find you faster.”

Never before had Mando faced such mistrust of a client, and it hit a nerve. Even if it was the emperor himself, Mando would not allow anyone to doubt his abilities.

In the end, he did manage to find Kenobi.

"I suppose they were watching your ship, and when they noticed it was in the same place for a very long time, they decided to check," Obi-Wan suggested.

“It makes sense. But now we need to cover our tracks.”

“I have a plan. I've already burned the bodies of the clones, and loaded the remains of the destroyed shuttle onto your ship. They will need to be dropped when we are in hyperspace. There shouldn’t be a single trace of the presence of clones, so that the Empire doesn’t decide to attack this planet, and if you throw scrap metal in hyperspace, then it won’t be found for a long time.”

The plan sounded convincing. Mando suddenly thought that Kenobi had probably already used a similar tactic during the war.

In silence, they loaded the supplies onto the ship, dismissed the droid, and left the planet. Coming out of the atmosphere, they vigilantly monitored the board computer for the presence of other ships, but there was no one else nearby. Mando set the autopilot to drift freely through space and turned to face the Jedi.

“So where should we go?”

*  
“How about Balamak?”

“Too close to trade routes from the Core.”

“Sneeve?”

“No spaceport.”

“Sepan.”

“The former territory of the separatists.”

“Hollastin.”

“Hutt Territory.”

"Hoth?”

“Very funny.”

“Should I remind you that we have been drifting in outer space next to Sorgan for days, where we were almost caught by Imperial soldiers, and still have not chosen a direction? If you continue to find fault with my suggestions, I will throw you into hyperspace with the shuttle debris.”

Mando angrily turned off the holographic map of the Galaxy, got up from his seat and left the cockpit, tired of their endless argument. If only he knew how many problems one captured Jedi would bring him, whom he couldn’t even hand over to the authorities and didn’t understand himself what was preventing him from doing it...

Mando collapsed onto his small bed and wearily closed his eyes. Why couldn’t he just land this Jedi with a child on the first planet he came across and continued to argue with him? After all, he didn't sign up for it. He already helped him more than he should have. He didn’t turn him over to the Emperor, he honestly tried to leave him on a small friendly planet so that the Jedi and the baby would be comfortable, and if it weren’t for the tracking device, they would have parted on this.

And no need to tell him that it was the will of the Force. There was no will of the Force. It was just that the stubborn Imperials wanted to find this Kenobi so badly that they were tracking all the bounty hunters who were given this assignment. Mando was tracking them himself, as knowledge of competitors was extremely important and could save hise life. And yet it offended his professional pride. Now he simply would not turn Kenobi over to them out of principle.

Mando himself didn’t notice how he dozed off, tired of the useless drift in space, and he woke up from a child's cry. Jumping up immediately, he returned to the cockpit to check that everything was alright. In the dim lighting of electronics and distant stars, Obi-Wan looked very pale and tired. Little Luke shrieked, and the Jedi winced each time, apparently hiding a headache.

Mando took pity on him.

“Give me the child,” he took Luke, took out a bottle of milk from the box that was standing right there on the floor, sat down in his pilot's seat and began to feed the baby. Luke calmed down and sucked on the bottle with pleasure.

Kenobi watched them with a slight smile, while Mando tried his best not to look at the Jedi, even though he was still wearing his beskar helmet, hiding his face. Kenobi needn't know that this whole situation confuses him endlessly.

"Thanks," Obi-Wan whispered.

The cockpit became quiet. They sailed slowly through space. Obi-Wan stared out the window with tired curiosity, watching the distant stars and planets float past them. Hardly anyone in the history of the Galaxy has visited all of them, and the Wild Space and Unknown Regions have remained unexplored to this day.

"I know a place," Obi-Wan spoke suddenly. “It's far from here, but I think I'll be safe there. The Empire has nothing to do there. And if anything, they can protect me there.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Not really,” the Jedi smiled. “In the end, this… society values benefits first and foremost. But I think I can come to an agreement with them.”

Mando didn't like it, but it's better than just hanging in a vacuum.

“Okay. Where to go?”

“Florrum.”

“Is it far?”

Obi-Wan flipped on a hologram map and pointed to the edge of the Outer Rim. Mando whistled.

“It will take almost a week to get there, if no more.”

“But if everything goes well and I manage to negotiate, you will drop me off there and go about your own business.”

Mando wanted to argue that he wasn’t going to leave Kenobi on the outskirts of the Galaxy, but stopped himself in time - really, what the hell? He shouldn’t care where this Jedi was going and with whom and about what to negotiate.

Mando let Obi-Wan put the coordinates. Seconds later, the computer calculated the trajectory, and _Razor Crest_ jumped into hyperspace.

*  
Several hours later, Obi-Wan leaned back wearily in his seat and closed his eyes.

“Hey,” Mando called to him.

The Jedi sighed, but still opened his eyes.

“What?”

“Go to bed.”

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise.

“You will give me your bed?”

Well, if you put the question that way, Mando belatedly realized that his proposal sounded stupid.

He turned away.

“I just don't want to leave you alone at the helm of my ship. Like that I will know that you are sleeping in the cabin.”

“Of course,” the Jedi replied with a smile, but still got up to leave the cockpit. “Thanks,” he whispered before going downstairs.

Mando hit the back of his head against the back of the seat. Since when has he been concerned about the well-being of the obnoxious Jedi?

The week before Florrum had passed in an established, silent routine of caring for the child. Feeding Luke and trying to lull him to sleep has become the norm for Mando. In fact, this became the norm during their time on Sorgan, but Mando would never admit it to anyone. Probably, his Mandalorian upbringing reminded about itself - he grew up in a clan, but then most of the time he spent alone in pursuit of targets. It was just a lack of human communication and the presence of others, nothing more.

Obi-Wan behaved quietly and peacefully for someone who must constantly fear that Mando would change his mind and surrender him to the Empire, and for somene who could already take advantage more than once with the help of the Force or a lightsaber and get rid of Mando, take his ship and hide in the backyard of the Galaxy. Apart from their first meeting on Tatooine, when Obi-Wan was determined to kill anyone who exposed him, their relationship could be compared to that of random fellow travelers who were in the same transport for a short period of time.

Their relationship couldn’t be called mutually beneficial, because only Obi-Wan got the benefit, while Mando was deprived of a solid fee. But professionals have standards, and Mando didn’t kill children or leave them orphans.

Quite the opposite.

The Mandalorian clan to which Mando belonged was committed to helping orphans affected by the war. They usually tried to arrange found children on some quiet planet far from the Core, so that they would have a home, work and a peaceful sky overhead. Some were even taken to the clan and taught the Way. Since their clan was not officially sponsored by any state - not by Mandalore itself, not by the Republic - Mando was engaged in earning money with his profession of a bounty hunter.

More than once he thought about giving Luke to the clan, and handing Kenobi over to the authorities. With the payment he would receive for a living Jedi, his clan could live comfortably for a very long time. It was likely that the Jedi would even agree to this if he trusted Mando. But Mando quickly realized that this child was special and that Kenobi couldn’t leave him in the wrong hands. Then Kenobi would have simply killed Mando, and the only thing Mando valued more than money was his own life; therefore this option was quickly dismissed.

Perhaps, Kenobi and his child should have been sent to the little moon, where their clan was based, but Mando didn’t like this option either - he didn’t want to bring a stranger, especially a Jedi, to the clan. If Kenobi was suddenly tracked down by someone else, not only Mando himself, but also his family would be at risk. Mandalorians of the Clan were strong and trained, but even they wouldn't stand against the full might of the Empire. Mando had no doubt that Emperor Palpatine would send his entire fleet to destroy the Jedi.

So he decided that this time he would definitely land Obi-Wan on Florrum, go away and forget that he had seen him.

*  
When the ship exited hyperspace, Mando saw in front of him a large yellow planet, somewhat reminiscent of Tatooine, only the layer of the atmosphere gave off a greenish tint instead of blue. He turned to the Jedi. Obi-Wan frowned slightly, but generally looked calm.

“What's next?” Mando asked. “We will not be shot if we do not report our presence?”

"No, they don't shoot from the ground," Kenobi replied. “We need to land not far from their settlement, I will show you where.”

They smoothly entered the atmosphere, and Mando, under the instructions of the Jedi, landed the ship on sandy terrain near strange structures of caves. Mando sensed with his hunting instinct that they were being watched.

“I'll lead the conversation, okay?” said Kenobi. “These people are quick to kill, but I can assure you that we have nothing to fear. Just... Let's behave in a civilized manner.”

Mando was about to ask who exactly they were going to meet, but Obi-Wan had already got up from his seat, guided the cradle in which baby Luke was sleeping, and went downstairs. Mando had no choice but to follow him.

As they opened the ramp to descend to the planet, a loud hoarse voice rang out outside:

“We are not expecting guests! Whoever you are, please note that we will shoot if we don't like you.”

Mando tensed and dropped his hand to his thigh where the blaster was hanging. Obi-Wan smiled and confidently walked down the ramp onto the yellow sand of Florrum.

“You won't forgive yourself if you shoot me, Hondo.”

Obi-Wan and Mando went outside and stopped. Opposite them stood a dozen Weequays, led by Hondo Ohnaka.

“Kenobi?” Hondo asked in surprise. “Kenobi, my old friend, is that you?”

Obi-Wan nodded.

The pirate happily threw himself at the Jedi, hugging him tightly.

“Great Force, you are alive! What kind of bad weather brought you here? How did you run away? What happened at all? And who is your armored bodyguard? Is this your son?” Hondo finished his tirade, noticing a cradle next to the Jedi.

"Hey, slow down, buddy." Obi-Wan smiled. “I'll tell you everything in order, and before you ask - yes, I will not refuse a drink.”

“No problem! Hey guys!” Hondo turned to his men. “Set the table for our Jedi friend!”

With joyful exclamations, the pirates, looking forward to the next feast, disappeared into the cave.

"Hey, wait a minute," Mando said. “Do you seriously want to ask the pirates for help?”

“Oi, oi, no need for insults!” Hondo exclaimed with feigned resentment. “Kenobi and I are friends, so of course, I will help him! By the way, what kind of help are we talking about?”

"You see, Hondo..." Obi-Wan hesitated awkwardly and gave Luke a fleeting glance. “This boy and I need shelter.”

“So this is your son?”

“No…”

Mando grabbed Kenobi by the shoulder.

“Obi-Wan, this is a bad idea. Even if these particular pirates don't turn you in, this is no place for the little one. Do you really want to raise him here?”

"Anything's better than hanging out in outer space on a wreck ship and fearing the Empire is about to catch you," Obi-Wan snorted. “Besides, I'm one against the Empire, but the pirates are many. Luke and I will be safe here.”

“I can protect as well as the pirates,” Mando muttered. “We just need to find a good planet.”

“Gentlemen, I don’t want to get involved in your family squabbles, but let's go inside and have a bite,” Hondo said.

“You wanted to say «have a snack?»" Obi-Wan chuckled.

Hondo laughed.

“I see you have not lost your skill to joke. Have a bite or a snack - what's the difference? I am personally dying of hunger, and you are skinny like a stick.”

He put his hand on the Jedi's shoulder and led him to the caves. When Hondo noticed that Mando wasn't going with them, he asked:

“And what about your beskar-headed friend? He won't join us?”

“I'm afraid not. But he doesn't want to offend you, really. He's just very unsociable.”

Obi-Wan felt in the Force Mando snorting.

*  
They stayed on Florrum for several weeks, during which Mando hardly spoke to Obi-Wan, as if he was offended by something.

Obi-Wan himself spent a lot of time with Hondo. It was revealed that Hondo was well aware of what was happening in the Galactic Core - that the Jedi were declared traitors, that the Republic had become an Empire, that Palpatine had a hand-held Sith with a red lightsaber. Obi-Wan himself told him that Palpatine himself turned out to be a Sith Lord, that he was behind the Separatists, and that this was all his plan to exterminate the Jedi, which dates back to the ancient wars between the Jedi and the Sith. Hondo just threw up his hands and convinced him that he wouldn't have anything to do with the Empire, since doing business with the Sith always turns out to be a loss, not profit.

“Listen, Kenobi,” he said seriously. Both Obi-Wan and Mando, who was sitting nearby, knew what the conversation was about. “I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're here and that we can sit quietly like that, drink and throw mud on the Empire. But you understand…” the pirate sighed. “I'm ready to take you in. You and little Luke. But you understand that business is business. If I cover all the Jedi survivors, can you imagine the losses I will suffer?”

Obi-Wan frowned and stroked his beard in a familiar gesture. Then he turned to Mando and held out his hand.

“Give me my saber.”

Mando unhooked his saber from his belt and placed it in his palm, wondering why would he need a saber if he already had another one? Mando himself partly hoped that Obi-Wan would blow off the pirate's head and carry out a real massacre here, but...

“I have to admit that I'm in a pretty desperate position. I have nowhere else to go, and much of the Empire's forces are being sent to find me. I have nothing but my saber. Therefore, I offer it to you as payment for shelter.”

There was silence.

Mando knew things about weapons. Weapons were everything to him, and he suspected that a lightsaber was to a Jedi what a blaster and a rifle was to a Mandalorian, if not more. But if the Mandalorian at any time could get himself another blaster, then each Jedi lightsaber was unique.

When the pause dragged on, Kenobi explained:

“Hondo, you know how expensive lightsabers will be now, given that many of them were destroyed along with the fallen Jedi. And no one else will go to Ilum to get crystals. This saber will more than pay for all your expenses on me, even more.”

“You never offered me your sword,” Mando said resentfully.

"You wouldn't have accepted it at that moment," Obi-Wan replied.

It was true. At that moment, it was essential for Mando to catch the Jedi and deliver to the client. He wouldn't bargain with him.

Hondo smiled.

“The beskar-headed was right. This planet is no place for little Luke. We are pirates after all, and our job is very dangerous even without the Empire. Plus… ” He covered Obi-Wan's arm with his, squeezing his fingers around the hilt. “I know what your saber means to you. And I cannot accept such payment.”

Obi-Wan lowered his head in confusion. Then he turned to Mando and handed him the saber back.

“You can keep it,” Mando said with a smile, knowing the Jedi would pick up on his mood. “I know that if you wanted, you would easily take it away from me at any time.”

Obi-Wan smiled absently.

“I will supply you with everything you need,” Hondo said. “Exclusively as a respect to our friendships. It was good to deal with the Jedi after all. You can stay here for a while, even visit old Uncle Hondo from time to time. If I am asked - and hopefully no one asks me - if I have seen a Jedi, I will answer that I haven't seen any Jedi. But you can't stay here too long.”

A few days later, when they were about to take off, Hondo pulled Mando aside.

“Listen to me, Mandalorian. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a good person. And we are really friends with him, how close friends can be a Jedi and a simple pirate. Therefore, as his friend, I want you to promise me that you will protect him and the child at all costs. The future of the Galaxy depends on them.”

Hondo was serious. Mando never imagined that the pirate could be so honest and noble.

But this promise was not difficult to make, as Mando already promised himself the same. Somewhere between the first droid attack on Tatooine and the white-armored clone attack on Sorgan.

Saying goodbye to the hospitable pirates, Mando, Obi-Wan and baby Luke left Florrum.

"So," Obi-Wan sat down in his familiar passenger seat. “Do we have any plan?”

Mando was just about to suggest something when his comlink sounded a new message.


End file.
